Chapter 24

I jumped up and turned around, "Hey what the–?" I was suddenly grabbed from behind.

Things like this bring back bad memories. One guy grabbed me around my arms as the other grabbed my legs, "Let go of me! What are you doing?!" I yelled in a freaked out voice. My heart was pounding painfully in my chest as I was reminded of the horrible flashbacks.

I was already shivering in fear and I tried kicking as much as I could but I could already see where they were taking me. They were moving me to the couch. No not the couch please! "Edward!!!! Edw–!" my mouth was covered instantly and I was getting moved to the couch.

I could already feel the tears running down my face as I struggled against them. One of the guys was already on top of me as the other one covered my mouth. I struggled underneath him as I yelled under the guy's hand, "No!!!"

The guy's hand was suddenly off of my mouth and I was free to breath through my mouth, "Get! Off! Of! Me!" I screamed as I thrashed underneath him.

One minute the guy was on top of me and the next thing I knew I was by myself on the couch. I stopped thrashing and tried to catch my breath on the couch. My whole body was shaking from the adrenaline rush my fear had acted up. I could hear grunting and bashing from behind the couch but I didn't have the strength yet to stop shaking let alone sit up.

I still had tears rolling down my eyes as I tried to stop shaking and wrap my brain around what just happened. I almost got raped for the third time in my life. How did I end up with so much bad luck?

"Bella?" I didn't even realize that someone was standing next to me. I couldn't manage to move my head so I just looked over at them through the corner of my eyes. Their image was blurry because of the tears in my eyes. Blurry image or not I could tell it was Edward. He got down on his knees next to me and looked me over with sad worried eyes.

"Did they hurt you?" he asked as he lightly touched my cheek.

I thought it over. I tried to pay more attention to my body as I tried to feel if he got to do anything. I shook my head in response to his question.

He looked me over again before he reached for the blanket on the couch and covered me with it. He looked back at my face and my heart broke at the image. He had tears in his eyes as he leaned over my face to look at me, "I'm so sorry," he whispered to me in a watery voice.

I couldn't get any words out of my mouth. I didn't know if I was traumatized by the incident, shocked, or if I didn't want my voice to break and hurt him more. I managed to make myself stop shaking. My breathing was back in order but I couldn't stop the tears from coming. "I should have gotten down here sooner," he continued on in his tearful voice.

It took me a while but I managed to lift my hand up and gently brush his tears away. He took my hand in his and gently kissed it, "Are you sure you're okay? You haven't talked in a while," he told me in concern.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat, "I've been better," my voice barely came out above a whisper.

He clenched his jaw and looked away from me as a couple more tears brimmed over. He suddenly looked away from the floor and looked up towards the entrance alert. "What happened here?" I heard a voice ask from behind the couch.

Edward stood up and let go of my hand, "These two men attacked my wife," Edward explained.

"Violently or sexually?" he asked.

"Sexually," he replied back in a monotone.

"Is she okay?" he asked.

"I think she's in a state of shock but she'll get better," he told him.

"What exactly happened?" he asked.

"I don't know. I barely got down here in time to stop them," Edward informed him.

"You think she's okay to talk?" he asked.

"I don't know…umm I'm curious…how did you know we needed help?" Edward asked.

"A little girl called saying that her mommy was yelling for help downstairs. We could hear the screams in the background," he informed him, "Do you have a daughter?" he asked.

I instantly sat up and looked towards them, "Carlie," I told Edward.

He came to the back of the couch, "I'll go get her…you stay here," he told me.

I nodded slowly before he started going upstairs, "Can you tell me what happened ma'am?" the cop asked.

I sighed, "I had just let them come in to put the present for my husband in the conservatory. I was signing the papers when one of them touched me and the other one attacked me from behind and before I knew it I was being carried to the couch," my voice came out numb and distant.

"Okay well we'll make sure to press charges and book them," he told me.

I nodded as he started walking out, "Hope you can have a better day ma'am," he said on his way out.

I wrapped the blanket around me and curled up in a ball on the couch, "Me too," I whispered back. I just stared at the floor absentmindedly.

"How are you feeling?" Edward asked suddenly right next to me.

I looked over at him, "Better," I told him.

"Why were they here?" he asked.

"They were the delivery guys," I said distractedly as I looked towards the conservatory, "They were dropping off the gift I got for you."

"You got me a gift?" he asked as he lightly placed a hand on my knee.

"Yeah," I said thoughtfully, "Edward?" I asked.

"Yes love?" he asked softly.

"Can you…can you hold me?" I asked him hesitantly.

I looked over at him as my mind started to whirl as the events started running through my head again. His eyes filled with sadness and sympathy before he scooted closer to me and wrapped his arms around me. I pressed my face up against his chest and breathed his scent in.

He gently lifted me up and placed me on his lap. I curled up against his chest. His arms tightened around me making a small sob escape my chest. He rested his chin on top of my head as I started crying into his chest. I didn't want to do this to him. I didn't want him to think that because of what happened I wouldn't want him to touch me or kiss me anymore.

But I couldn't stop the tears from coming. I almost experienced my third rape and what's worse is that Edward almost witnessed it and our daughter almost heard everything. I curled my fingers around a fistful of his shirt and clung onto him.

There was just something about Edward that always made me feel safe in his arms. I don't even think I would have cared if Edward touched me if I had actually been raped this time. He was like my protector. My angel sent from heaven to make me feel safe and loved.

I slowly started to uncurl my sore fingers after a couple of minutes and relax against him as my tears subsided. "I'm sorry," Edward whispered to me again.

"There's nothing to be sorry for Edward," I replied back but didn't move.

"I should have been down here faster," he told me.

I pulled my head back to look at him. His eyes were still serious and sad. I gently took his face into my hands and looked him straight in the eyes, "You got here in time that's all that matters."

He looked at me a bit puzzled, "Why are you comforting me?" he asked. "I should be comforting you," he said with a small shake to his head.

I slid my hands down and rested them on the sides of his neck, "I feel better Edward. I don't need comforting. And I don't want you blaming yourself. You know I hate it when you do that."

He dropped his head in defeat and looked down, "I know."

"Edward," he looked back up at me, "I'm fine really."

"You didn't see how you looked," he told me seriously.

"I didn't need to see I felt how I looked," I told him back.

"How do I not apologize for something like that? You're my wife, the mother of my child and you almost got raped because I was stupid enough to stay upstairs," he was mad at himself.

I didn't know what to say. I was getting mad myself because he was mad. So with my anger taking over me completely I did the only thing I thought would reassure him. I crashed my lips on his and kissed him with anger. It made the kiss animalistic.

He lightly pushed me away, "What are you doing?" he asked in anger.

"I'm showing you that I'm fine. That I'm not a fragile piece of glass. And that I don't need you treating me like a traumatized little girl," I told him truthfully with a hint of anger.

His eyes softened before his face did, "I didn't mean to treat you that way. I love you…and that love comes with other emotions. I can't help but feel protective of you and to want to make sure that nothing bad ever happens to you. I don't want you to suffer. I don't want you to hurt. I just want you to be happy. And I want you to be safe," his words moved me. I knew how he felt but I never knew the extent of it.

"I always feel safe with you," I whispered back to him.

"I don't want you to feel safe," he whispered back to me, "I want you to be safe."

"As long as I'm with you I'll always be safe," and I knew that the words were true. He wouldn't let anyone hurt me.

He looked into my eyes for a moment, "You are my fragile piece of glass Bella; a piece of glass that I've broken and repaired too many times, a piece of glass that I should have never even broken in the first place because I didn't want that at all."

"I'm not a fragile piece of glass Edward," I told him.

"You're more fragile than you think Bella," he said as he lightly rested his hand behind my neck. I just stayed quiet. Something inside of me just told me to shut up because deep down I knew he was right. "Just think about all the horrible things that you…we've been through. After everything…how can you not be fragile?"

A/N: so tell me what you guys thought about this chapter! Review please!